Note: I’m using some older photos of Waity & William for fun, because I was getting bored with the ones from their meager public appearances this summer. Anyway, back in July, the UK papers had some interesting details about William and Kate’s latest renovations to their enormous Anmer Hall property (which sits on the grounds of Sandringham). The renovations to Anmer (including ripping out a perfectly beautiful kitchen that was only a few years old) cost anywhere from £1.5 million to £2 million by most estimates. That was before Will and Kate decided to move the existing tennis court to improve the view! The new/moved tennis court will cost around £60,000. And they’re in luck – the plans were just approved!

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been given the go ahead to build a new £60,000 tennis court at Anmer Hall in Norfolk. The new astro-turf court will replace one which has fallen into disrepair and will be built 36ft away from the original in a move to ‘improve the views’ from the 10-bedroom mansion. Meanwhile, the existing court will be dug up and turned into part of the back garden which cannot be seen from the public road.

The Sandringham estate was granted planning consent to carry out the work on Wednesday by King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council. Documents on the council’s website reveal that no members of the public, councillors or officials from public bodies objected to the plans. The building of the new court will involve the removal of 10 trees including a silver birch, Japanese and Norwegian maples, a fruit tree and a laburnum.

A tree survey report commissioned by the estate as part of the planning application described the trees as of ‘low and moderate amenity value’. It added that their removal would have ‘no significant impact on the publicly seen landscape’. The plans also involve the planting of three new oaks to make up for the loss of the trees.

A Kensington Palace spokeswoman said: ‘The new court will not be paid from public funds and is replacing the existing court which needed extensive resurfacing.’

[From The Daily Mail]

“Not be paid from public funds” = Prince Charles and the Duchy of Cornwall, I’m assuming. Although you never know, the Middletons could be funding this one since Carole has decided to make Anmer her home and Carole loves some tennis.

Meanwhile, in the ongoing saga of Why Kate Will Never Attend Weddings, People Magazine had a decidedly odd and detailed story about how it’s all just some huge misunderstanding and she needs to look after herself or something – go here to read the full piece. The explanation that People Mag got for Kate skipping Bear & Daisy’s wedding was that Kate NEVER planned on going and “she had previously sent her regrets about not attending and was never expected.” I guess that’s why her name was included in the place settings, because she sent her regrets. After that, People just details all of the weddings she’s missed out on, something something babies and breastfeeding (although Kate can and will spend hours shopping and having her hair done).

What else? One person (photographer Mark Stewart) say that Kate and William are “uncomfortable” with the attention they bring when they’re attending social events like that, but that doesn’t explain why William attends and Kate doesn’t. And finally, People Mag pushes the endless narrative that Kate is simply loving her “country wife” life at Anmer and “with help from a beloved nanny and a housekeeper and Kate’s own hands-on mum, Carole Middleton, she can easily head out to events if she wants to.” I’m not sure what that means? Is that shade? Like, at the end they’re saying, “You know all those reasons we just gave? Just kidding, she has plenty of help and if she really wanted to attend your wedding, she would.”

Photos courtesy of WENN.